Bits and Pieces of Stuff and More

I'm embarrassed to say that I wasted a beautiful day, even if I have an excuse.  It was gorgeous outside, and I wish I could have been out in it.  But I awoke this morning with more back issues, and I wasn't able to do anything I had planned to do.  It's the second time this week that this has happened, and it's getting frustrating.  I may need to invest in a new bed/mattress.

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I sent my daughter to her grandparent's for the weekend.  Last night, we met up with my in-laws for dinner, and she went home with them.  We had planned this out about a week ago, and I thought it might be fun for her and them.  My mother-in-law is always hoping for more time with her, so this seemed like a great opportunity to do it.  I had something planned for Saturday morning, anyway, that she wouldn't have enjoyed.  I had volunteered to help a friend do some intense cleaning to prepare for a move, though my back issues kept me from doing that.

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Stuck on the couch all day, I decided to rent and download a movie, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.  Wow, what a movie!  Tom Hanks was very good as the title character, and the situation he has to deal with, Somali pirates boarding his container ship, is intense.  At the end of the movie, and I don't want to give anything away (even though it's based on an actual event), the feeling of overwhelming relief that Tom Hanks' character experiences and exhibits had a pretty big impact on me, and I couldn't help but feel emotional.  I think anyone who experiences something traumatic like that can relate to that feeling.  CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is a very good movie and highly recommended.

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I was very disappointed in the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game today against rival Philadelphia.  The Pens are clearly the better team, and have one of the best records in the league.  But a combination of injuries to several key players resulted in a complete collapse versus the Flyers, and they lost 4-0.

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I'm even more disappointed by my Maryland Terrapins athletic teams.  It has been well documented the Maryland is leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference they helped found, after over six decades, to the Big 10 Conference.  The reason has to do with the amount of money the football team will bring into the school as a member of the Big 10 versus the ACC, but for those who value tradition over money, it is a slap in the face.  The Terps have established rivalries with a number of schools in the ACC, particularly in basketball (Duke, North Carolina, Virginia), but they will have to start anew next season.  Because of the animosity that was created over the situation (and lawsuits - Maryland is suing the ACC regarding the exit fees the league is forcing on Maryland), what could have been a celebration and send off by the ACC to Maryland, there's been nothing, and Maryland's quick exits from both the men's and women's tournaments just added to the disappointment.  It's shame.  All of that tradition was just ignored and now it's over.  I hope Maryland is happy with their decision, and that the extra money they get is worth it.

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I've been loving this Winter!  I love snow, so it has been great to see so much this year.  However, even I have my limits.  The weather guys are forecasting another snow storm for Monday morning.  Here we are, in mid-March, and preparing for more snow.  The weather, in the 60s today, is giving us no indication of the snow that's coming.  It feels like Spring is already here.  But it is coming!  One more trip to the store to stock up on bread, milk, and toilet paper!

Have a great evening, everyone!